


Let’s Learn To Laugh At Ourselves Again

by like_a_stray



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Frerard, High School AU, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-02-27 22:22:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/like_a_stray/pseuds/like_a_stray
Summary: Gerard Way is an abused teenager who has just moved from New Jersey to California. That means a new school, new people, new house. Frank Iero is the perfect definition of punk. He’s tattooed, he has piercings, and he’s in a rock band. Just Gerard’s type.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This entire story is very heavy and deals with some pretty dark topics like child abuse, anxiety, self-harm, and depression, so please, please stay safe and don't read this if any of these trigger you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a separate series than my other High School AU, just keep that in mind.
> 
> Trigger warning for child abuse and violence.

❀Gerard's POV❀

I think it was safe to say that I hated my life.

My dad's abusive to me and my brother Mikey.

He makes us work for everything. He makes us buy our own clothes, our own food, our own school supplies, everything.

He rarely hits Mikey. I'm his main target.

My father became abusive after my mom died. He drank to forget, he started doing drugs, and he started hitting us.

I give most of my money to Mikey. I need to make sure that he gets a good education and that he eats.

We're both pretty thin, but Mikey's always been lanky. I'm practically a skeleton. You can see my ribs, hipbones, and collarbones. You can count my ribs from far away.

Mikey and I tried it.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Mikey walked into my room.

"Hi, Gee. Can I sleep here tonight?" He asked timidly.

I nodded and he climbed into my old, shitty bed.

I sighed and combed my fingers through his hair.

"We're gonna get out of here soon. I'm turning eighteen in less than a year, and we're going to move away. I promise." I mumbled, kissing Mikey's head.

Mikey placed his head against my chest. "We're gonna be starting school tomorrow." He said glumly.

"Chin up, Mikes. You're gonna fit right in. People love you." I said. "Me, on the other hand... I'm gonna have some issues."

"Shut up, Gerard. Stop beating yourself up..." Mikey scolded. "Now let me sleep."

He fell asleep not too long after that, and I followed shortly.

❀

"Good morning everyone. We have a new student. Can you introduce yourself?" My new English teacher, Ms. Fall, asked.

I did not want to present myself to the class. At all.

"Go ahead, stand up!" She urged.

I stood shakily from my seat in the back of the room.

"Um, hi. My name is Gerard Way, a-and I'm from New Jersey..." I said quietly, averting my gaze from everyone else and focusing on the light brown, tiled floor.

A chorus of mumbled, "Hi, Gerard"s arose from the class.

I sat down in my seat, focusing on breathing.

 _In and out, Gerard. Deep breaths._  I told myself.

Ms. Hall had already gone off on talking about the novel that our class was currently reading. I zoned out, my mind drifting to Mikey.

Was he okay? Or was he panicking and crying in a bathroom stall?

I was worried about him, but our lockers were right next to each other, so I would see him in between now and Second Period.

I waited out the class, waiting for the bell to ring so I could see Mikey.

I was intently studying the floor. I committed every crack and scratch, the color, and the pattern to memory.

I looked up, inspecting my classmates. Most of them were looking at Ms. Hall, who was presenting some Powerpoint about the book.

A few of them were whispering and giggling. I felt a wave of panic wash over me. Were they talking about me?

Whenever someone had a conversation that did not include me, I thought it was about me. That's what social anxiety does to you.

My gaze caught a boy in the row next to me. He was sitting a few seats up.

He was also staring at me.

He seemed to notice that I was looking at him as well, and he flashed me a smirk before turning around.

Shit.

He was probably going to talk about me to his friends. I could just imagine the conversation they would have.

I heard the bell ring and stood up quickly, grabbing my black backpack from the back of my chair and dashing out into the hall.

Mikey was already at his locker.

"Gee! There's this really cute kid who said hi to me today! His name's Pete and he's really cute and nice and everything." Mikey said, putting his combination into his lock.

"That's great, Mikes. I'm just happy that you're doing okay. Text me if you need me, okay?" I told him, putting my own combination in and pulling my Biology textbook out.

"Okay. Bye, Gee! Love you!" He said, closing his locker and running off to his next class.

"Love you too!" I called after him.

I closed my own locker, turning and walking into my Bio classroom. The teacher smiled at me when I walked in.

"Hi! You're Gerard, right?" He asked. I nodded.

"I'm Mr. Weekes. Your seat is over there on the left." He said, pointing towards the seat in the back, by a window.

Perfect.

I smiled shyly and walked over to my seat.

I set my backpack down on the table and sat down, looking around the classroom.

There were posters about the Human Body and the Nervous System and all that.

"You're in my seat."

I looked up to see the boy who was staring at me in English.

"W-what?" I asked.

"You deaf or something? I said that you're in my seat." He snapped.

I ducked my head and stood up, grabbing my bag and letting the boy sit.

I was scared of everyone, to be honest. Everyone but Mikey. I would always feel threatened and anxious when I was around other people.

I sat in the seat next to his, keeping my head down.

The tables were the size of two desks put together so that two students could sit at the same table.

  The boy was quite cute. His hair was long and dark brown. It almost reached his shoulders and was cut a little shorter in the front. He had nose and lip piercings and tattoos trailing up his arms and what looked like a spider on his neck.  

I squinted a little at the tattoo on his neck, coming to the conclusion that it was a scorpion and not a spider.

Fuck, tattoos were hot.

But I could not get involved with friendships and relationships and crushes this year. Not if Mikey and I are going to move far, far away next year.

The bell rang, indicating that class was starting and if you weren't there you were late.

"Hey, guys. Today we're going to be learning about the anatomy of human beings. The girls will be learning about girls and the guys will be learning about guys. I'll be handing out a packet and I would like you and your partner to work on page one. Raise your hand if you need help." Mr. Weekes said, handing the packet out to everyone.

The boy next to me turned to look at me.

"I'm Frank, by the way." He said.

"You already know my name, so..." I responded.

"So, question one..."

❀

"Mr. Way, Frank broke his arm and he needs someone to carry his books for him. You have almost every class with him, so you're being assigned as his helper." Ms. Hall said.

Fuck no.

I was not dealing with his short, bratty ass every day until his arm healed.

"Ms. Hall, is there anyone else that can do it? Please?" I begged.

"Sorry, Gerard. You're starting today. You get to leave class three minutes early, too. So please cooperate." She said, smiling sweetly.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered quietly.

"Thank you, Gerard." She said, giving me a grateful smile before turning and walking away.

I sighed and held my head in my hands.

"Damn," I mumbled softly to myself.

I brought my hand up to my mouth to chew at my thumbnail. Nail biting was one of my worst habits, and I just couldn't seem to shake it. I would bite them so short sometimes that they bled and hurt for days. I also had dermatophagia, meaning that I would bite my skin. I usually bit the skin on my fingertips or on the inside of my cheeks.

That also resulted in bloody fingers.

I began to chew at the tip of my forefinger, wincing when I bit a little too deep.

"Shit, ow, ow..." I hissed.

"You shouldn't do that," A voice said.

I looked up to see Frank.

"Do what?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Bite your nails and fingertips. You could get an infection."

My eyes found their way to his arm, which was clad in a cast and a sling.

"My sister pushed me down the stairs. I fractured two bones in my wrist." He explained.

"I know what it feels like. To have broken bones, I mean." I said, hoping that empathizing with him would make him less of a jerk.

"What did you break?" He asked, seeming intrigued.

"Three ribs and a collarbone," I mumbled.

"How the hell did you manage to do that?" He questioned.

I couldn't tell him that my dad beat me up for snapping at him.

No way. He would tell a teacher or something and my dad would literally kill me.

He's tried before.

"I... um..."

_Ringgggg_

The bell.

Thank god.

Frank sighed and walked to his seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Projekt Revolution! Frank (but I gave him gauges and his piercings because why not) and Revenge Era! Gerard.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Gerard's first day helping Frank with his books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of drug use and child abuse

❀Gerard's POV❀

I glanced up at the clock for the hundredth time that day.

It was 8:20. Five minutes before the bell rang and we were released to second period.

Time for me and Frank to leave.

I gathered my books and leaned forward.

"Frank," I whispered.

Luckily, he heard me and turned around.

"It's time for us to go," I said, gesturing up at the clock.

He nodded and I stood up.

Holding his books along with mine was challenging.

I didn't have a lot of upper body strength and my arms were like twigs.

It was hard enough to carry my own books, but add another two textbooks and a binder onto that and I was screwed.

Frank said goodbye to Ms. Hall and we left.

My hands were always shaking, but the amount of weight I was holding made it worse.

I dropped the books.

"Shit, sorry..." I apologized quickly, crouching down and gathering the books before standing up.

Frank glared at me. "Try not to drop all of my shit. It's like three books. Not that hard to carry." He growled.

I dropped my head on instinct, flinching when Frank started to walk again.

"Why are you so fucking jumpy?" He asked when I began to walk alongside him.

"I, um..."

Oh, you know, my dad has beaten and starved me since I was ten so flinching away is kind of instinctive at this point, asshole.

Frank continued to glare at me. "I asked you a question."

"I'm just a jumpy person, I guess," I answered.

"Why do you always look terrorized when people move or talk to you?"

I swallowed nervously.

"It's none of your business," I mumbled, averting my gaze from him.

"What are we, seven?" Frank sneered from beside me.

"I'm just trying to be respectful," I answered.

"Respectful? Why?"

"I wasn't aware we were playing twenty-million questions right now," I mumbled. I had sass and even though I was terrified of him hurting me, I was going to use it.

Frank scoffed. "Whatever. We're at Bio anyway."

The bell to release the rest of the students from their classed rang and people flooded the hallways.

Just as I was about to walk into the Biology classroom, I heard my name being called.

I turned to see Mikey, dashing down the hallway and adjusting his glasses.

"Hey, Mikes. I'm sorry we couldn't talk but I have to help Frank with his stuff until his wrist heals." I explained.

Mikey nodded. "That's okay. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I smiled, leaning in and kissing his forehead. "Thanks. Off to class, now."

"Bye!" He called, turning and running down the hall.

Frank was staring at me.

"Who was that?" He asked me as we walked into our classroom.

"My brother," I answered, setting our books on our table and separating his from mine.

He looked at me for a moment. "Your accent is annoying."

"I can't really control it," I said.

"You can talk less."

"Maybe I would talk less if you asked less questions,"

"Shut up."

I rolled my eyes and listened to Mr. Weekes start his presentation on Human Anatomy.

 ❀

I was sitting at the lunch table with Mikey, listening to him ramble on about everything from dogs to grass.

That's just your typical conversation with Mikey Way.

"So, yeah. That's why the Monarch Butterfly is the best kind out there." He concluded.

"That's cool, Mikey. Now eat." I urged, shoving his lunch tray sightly closer to him.

"Why don't  _you_  eat?" He asked.

"Because, Mikey. There's only enough money for one of us to eat, and that person is you." I said, my voice hushed.

He sighed.

"Hey, what's wrong? Something's been bothering you," I asked, feeling concerned.

"I just... Is anything really going to change once you turn eighteen? Like, you'll still have to work on top of college and-"

"College has fewer hours than high school. I'm taking a few classes in the morning and the rest of the day I have to work. Also, housing is covered for families with financial issues. I get a dorm and they're letting you live with me there. Everything's gonna work out, don't worry."

Mikey sighed again. "I'm just scared." He admitted.

"So am I, but we're gonna be okay," I said.

Mikey gave me a small smile, before pushing his lunch tray over to me. I hadn't even realized that he had cut his sandwich in half.

"Have some. You haven't eaten in what, a few days? You need something." Mikey said before I could protest.

I hesitated before picking up half of the sandwich and taking a bite.

"There, I ate. Happy?"

"No. Eat more." He protested.

"Mmm, how 'bout no," I answered, a smug grin finding its way on my face.

Mikey groaned.

I giggled and gave the half back to him.

I checked the time quickly and realized that I had to leave with Frank and help him.

"I have to go, Mikes," I said, flashing Mikey a sad smile.

"Why?" He asked.

"I'm helping Frank with his books, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Bye!" He said, smiling at me.

I stood up, gathered my own books, and kissed Mikey's head before walking away.

I approached Frank's lunch table slowly.

"U-um, Frank?"

He turned around, holding a small bag of Doritos.

"What the fuck do you need?"

"We, um, we have to leave..." I answered.

He scoffed and shoved his books in my direction.

"Whatever. Let's go."

I glanced up at the people he was sitting with.

A very pretty girl with long, black hair pulled into two pigtails was sitting beside him. If I wasn't gay, I would probably have a crush on her.

A boy with dark brown hair that was swept to the side sat next to her.

Another girl with shorter black hair was next to him, and another tall boy with dark hair.

Frank turned to the girl with the short, black hair and he kissed her cheek. "Bye, babe." He said to her.

The girl grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss.

I instantly diverted my gaze, but I could still hear the wet noises of them roughly making out.

"Guys, stop eating each other's faces. You're scarring this poor kid." One of the dark-haired boys said.

I heard a loud, sloppy, wet noise as Frank and the girl pulled apart.

The dark-haired boy from before grimaced before giving me a smile.

 _Sorry about that._ _H_ e mouthed _._

I gave him a small nod as if to say  _it's okay._

I picked up Frank's books and we walked out into the hall.

❀

The bus rumbled to a stop, and Mikey and I gathered our backpacks and began to head up our long driveway.

"So, who's your least favorite teacher?" He asked. I giggled and replied, "Mr. Mapel. He yelled at a kid for coughing today." Mikey laughed. "Mine is Mrs. Gennel. She forced me to take a test on a topic that I knew nothing about. On my second day!" He exclaimed.

I smiled at him, tucking a lock of my dark hair behind my ear.

We approached the house and I unlocked the door, walking in and instantly being hit by the stench of alcohol and weed.

"You worthless shits are finally home! Gerard, get in here." I heard my dad call from the living room

I glanced at Mikey. He looked sick, his face pale and eyes wide. I kissed his forehead quickly and went into the living room.

My dad was splayed out on the couch, a smoking joint in between his fingers.

"Get me a beer, you little bitch. Actually, there's a six-pack in the fridge. Go get it." He ordered.

I nodded and rushed off to the kitchen, yanking open the fridge door.

Sure enough, a six-pack of beer was sitting on the middle shelf.

I grabbed it and quickly walked back into the living room, being careful not to drop the drinks.

I set the beer down on the coffee table, taking one out of the pack and handing it to my dad.

"Cut me a few lines. Make 'em big, or you'll regret it." My dad said.

I sighed and walked into the kitchen again, picking through the drawer of my dad's drugs until I found the small bag. I fished it out along with a razor blade.

Once I was back into the living room, I quickly cut a few heaping lines of cocaine on the coffee table, making them neat.

I stood up once I was done, and I felt a hand on my arm, dragging me towards them.

I let out a yelp and I was forced to the floor.

"Those lines weren't big enough, you worthless slut." My dad growled, bringing his fist to my face.

I whimpered as my own hand flew up to cup my aching cheek, but it was instantly pulled away as more punches were thrown in my face.

This went on for a few minutes, and my nose and lip had already started to bleed.

I wiped some tears and blood off of my face.

My dad pulled away from me and I thought it was finally over.

Then the kicking started.

He kicked my ribs, chest, and stomach until he was satisfied.

I was hysterically sobbing at this point, tears and blood streaming down my face as I choked on tears.

I felt a hand wrap around my throat.

"Stop fucking crying. You're weak." My dad growled, squeezing hard and completely cutting off all air flow.

I desperately clawed at his wrist, my head starting to feel fuzzy as black and yellow spots clouded my vision.

He let go after another moment and I was gasping for breath. It hurt my chest to breathe but I could care less.

"Get out of my sight." I heard my dad hiss.

I nodded and somehow managed to drag myself off the floor and up the stairs.

Mikey was waiting at the top of them and he rushed forward and grabbed me the second he saw me.

"Just take me to the bathroom. Please." I whined.

"Alright. It's okay." He cooed, helping me to the bathroom. He sat me on the toilet lid, rummaging through the drawer until he found a first-aid kit.

He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some water from the sink. He dabbed the blood and tears on my face away.

"Shirt off." He mumbled. I pulled my shirt over my head, Mikey giving me a sad look.

He grabbed a bottle of Lidocaine Icy Hot and applied a copious amount to my ribs and chest, the cool cream making me shiver.

He pulled an Ace bandage from the kit and wrapped it around my ribs and chest, securing it with the small metal pins that came with it.

"Is it too tight?" He asked. I shook my head. "Well, nothing looks broken, so that's a good sign." He observed.

He filled the small glass we had next to the sink with water and handed me two reddish-orange pills.

"Painkillers." He explained.

I took them with the water and finished the glass.

I nodded and he handed another cool washcloth to me. "Hold this on your face. We don't have ice packs and I don't want the bruises to swell." He instructed.

I did as he asked and he left the bathroom, returning a few moments later with a bundle of clothes.

I let him change my clothes because I didn't have the strength to do it myself. Luckily, It was a loose black t-shirt and a pair of dark gray sweatpants.

Mikey helped me into my room.

He laid me down splayed out on my back, my arms hanging off the side of the bed.

Mikkey put my blanket over me and kissed my head. "Are you gonna be okay to go to school on Monday?" He asked.

I nodded. The Lidocaine was starting to take effect, making my abdomen and chest feel cold and tingly. It felt like when you get mint toothpaste on your skin. Cold and burning slightly.

"I'll manage," I answered.

Mikey sighed. "I'm sorry he does this to you."

"It's fine. You should go eat, Mikes." I urged.

He shook his head. "I wanna stay with you." He answered.

I smiled, my eyelids feeling heavy.

"Goodnight, Mikey. Get some sleep eventually." I mumbled.

"I will. 'Night, Gee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a little clarification, Gerard is seventeen and he plans to move out and take Mikey with him once he turns eighteen. Frank is also seventeen, and Mikey is fifteen.


	3. Chapter Three

❀Frank's POV❀

Gerard and I were walking side-by-side down the hall.

He looked like he was in pain. He had huge, dark purple bruises on his face and his lip was split on one side.

He had been limping the entire day and every breath he took seemed to cause him pain.

We were walking to the gym. I actually enjoyed gym class. They usually gave us fun activities to do and we got to run around for forty minutes.

I saw the door of the boy's locker room and I led Gerard into it. It was my last day of gym class before I got switched to a study hall because of my wrist.

Gerard set our large pile of books down on one of the benches in the middle of the alleyway of lockers.

He entered the combination into his lock and opened the locker as other students began to file in.

I flicked my gaze away as Gerard pulled his shirt off, but not before something caught my eye.

He had an Ace bandage wrapped around his ribs and chest, and I saw a small spot of blood soaking through on his side.

What the fuck?

He pulled a different shirt over his head and I looked away again as he started to undo his jeans.

Once he was done changing we went to the gym. I sat on the bleachers and watched as the other people began to play basketball. Gerard looked confused. He sat back, not moving too much and biting his nails.

The gym teacher began to yell at him for slacking and he flinched, bowing his head.

"Run three laps around the gym and then rejoin the game. If you don't hustle once you're back in, detention for two weeks and you get to spend class running laps."

Gerard just nodded and began to run. It was slow and awkward and I could tell that he was in pain.

I mean, the kid could barely walk properly, and Coach Erin expected him to run laps and play basketball? I wouldn't want to do that either.

Once he had run his laps, he hobbled out onto the court and was instantly slammed into by the football quarterback.

His loud yelp echoed through the gym. I felt bad. I didn't know what had happened to him previously but he was obviously in pain and getting mauled by Daniel Howell must have hurt. Dan wasn't too muscular but he was surprisingly strong.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Hey, are you okay?" I heard Dan ask Gerard. The skinny dark-haired boy was curled on the floor. I could see him shaking from my spot on the bleachers.

"Iero!" Coach Erin suddenly screamed. I pushed myself up and walked over to the muscular, tall man.

"Yeah, coach?" I asked him.

"Help this kid into the locker room. You aren't doing anything else." He answered.

I crouched next to Gerard, grabbing his arm and pulling him off of the floor.

I ignored the way he whimpered and I dragged him towards the locker room.

I forced him to sit on the bench in our alleyway of lockers. "What the fuck are you thinking? You need to listen to coach! He will  _crucify_  you!" I hissed, keeping my voice low.

He nodded. "I'm sorry,"

He looked up at me for a moment and then let out a single sob before clamping his hand over his mouth.

He was so sensitive. It was actually getting on my nerves.

"Goddamn. Do you cry this much at home?" I asked.

He shook his head and moved his hands from his face to his lap before breaking into a coughing fit.

He sat there, coughing and gasping. He dry-heaved a few times and I saw some blood glisten on his lips and a bit on his chin.

"Fuck, here," I said, quickly turning to unlock my gym locker quickly and grabbing a small pack of tissues.

I handed him one and he wiped the mixture of saliva and blood off of his chin and lips and the tears off of his cheeks.

I saw him struggle to get up for a moment before he managed to get to his feet and drag himself towards his locker. He opened it and pulled his normal everyday clothes out.

I couldn't see any of his chest or stomach because it was covered by the bandage but I was going to feel like a pervert if I didn't look away.

I heard him whimper and I glanced up quickly. He seemed to be struggling with getting his shirt off.

"Can you, um, help me?" He asked.

Fuck no.

I'm not going to dress him like a mother dressing her child.

"No," I answered.

"P-please? It hurts too much for me to do it myself." He begged, looking at me with his eyes large.

I was a sucker for puppy-dog eyes, no matter who they were coming from.

I sighed in defeat, walking over to him.

"Arms up," I said. He did so and I pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head and he handed me his normal one. I put that one on him and glanced up at his face.

"You need help with your jeans?" I asked. He nodded.

I sighed and hooked my fingers around the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled them down.

I swallowed nervously when I saw his bony hips and legs.

He gave me his jeans and I slowly tugged them over his ankles. I pulled the denim over his hips and zipped and buttoned them quickly. Gerard was blushing a bright red, his lips pursed and head turned down slightly.

I felt a small wave of something wash over me. Guilt? Compassion?

I heard him whimper and saw that he was hunched over, clutching his stomach.

I decided to not be an asshole for a few minutes.

"Hey, just try and breathe through it, okay?" I said softly, gently rubbing Gerard's shoulder.

He let out a choked noise and gagged.

"Shh, shh... Just breathe." I murmured. I began to rub his back and he flinched away and whimpered, batting my hand off of him.

"I'm gonna bring you to a bathroom, okay?" I asked, standing up.

"I don't t-think I can w-walk..." He said.

"You can lean on me, it's alright," I mumbled. "Everyone's still in class. No one's going to see us."

Gerard gasped when he stood up and I was at his side in an instant, wrapping my arm around his waist and steadying him.

He whimpered and shrunk in on himself. "Please don't touch me,"

"You're gonna fall if I don't. I'm sorry." I said, shooting him an apologetic glance.

I heard him sob softly and I felt bad.

Really bad.

We made our way to the bathroom outside of the gym. Nobody ever used it and I set Gerard down against the wall.

"I'm gonna go grab our books. I'll be right back, okay?" I said, looking down at him

I went back to the locker room as fast as I could and with much difficulty, I managed to pick up my and Gerard's books.

I walked into the bathroom and my heart broke.

Gerard was sobbing into his hands and curling up slightly.

He must have thought that I left him.

I locked the door of the bathroom quickly and walked over to him, crouching beside him.

"Gerard, it's okay. I didn't leave; I'm here." I reassured, touching his shoulder.

He clawed at my hand and I recoiled it.

I didn't know what to do. The kid was coughing up blood and obviously in pain and I didn't know why.

"I want some answers," I said.

"I fell," Gerard answered way too quickly.

"Off of what?"

"On the floor."

"You don't just cough up blood from falling on the floor. And also, your ribs are bandaged." I answered.

He whimpered. "I can't tell you."

"Why? Did you get beat up or something?" I felt concerned.

"Yes." He mumbled.

"By  _who?_ "

Gerard whined again and wiped his eyes. "Why does it matter?"

I sighed. I barely knew him but I felt like I had to take care of him.

Like I had to protect him.

"It just does," I responded.

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because! Stop asking me! I. Can't. Tell. You!" He suddenly cried, his hands flying up to his hair and pulling.

He made a distressed noise and started to sob again.

"Gerard, it's okay. I'm not going to force you to tell me." I said.

I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket.

I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

It read _Jamia._

I hit the 'dismiss call' button and stuffed my phone back into my pocket and turned my attention back to Gerard. He was curled up on his side, his hand covering his face.

"I need to know how I can help you." I murmured.

"You can't." He said. "I'm too far gone already. You can't help me."


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for child abuse and anxiety.
> 
> (The abuse in this chapter consists of flashbacks to a previous time and a lot of strong language is used.)
> 
> Stay safe and don't read this if anything previously mentioned triggers you.

❀Gerard’s POV❀

”Mr. Way, I’m very disappointed in you. I thought you were a better student than this.” The principal said.

”Sir, I’m sorry... I really am.” I whispered, praying that I wouldn’t get in too much trouble.

I had gone into a store and shoplifted. It wasn’t something that I did often but I hadn’t gotten paid and we were really tight on money and needed food. If you didn’t have the money, the school didn’t allow you to eat their lunch, which was probably illegal. Our father would lose his shit and beat us if we got the free lunch that the kids in struggling families got. 

The store caught me and couldn't contact my dad, so they called my school. My father was going to kill me when he found out. I was going to lose my scholarship and Mikey was going to be homeless. 

“We’re going to have to call home. We might be able to save your scholarship to the art school you’re going to but that’s not a guarantee.” He said, giving me a sad look. I felt my chest constrict with every gasp I tried to take.

My father had tried to kill me before and it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

_”You little fucking worthless slut!” My father screamed, backhanding me across the face before grabbing at me. I was young and naïve and thought that running from him would be an escape._

_I backed away into the wall, tears running down my cheeks._

_“You can’t do anything right! I wish you would just kill yourself already. That way I wouldn’t have to deal with you anymore.” He growled, stepping closer and cornering me._

_”Maybe I can take care of it myself, hmm?” He said with a smirk and I almost passed out from fear._

_His large, strong hands came forward and curled around my neck. He was squeezing hard and this was different than the times he had almost choked me for the sake of scaring me._

_My vision blurred after a few moments of desperate clawing and thrashing. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. He was going to kill me. I was going to die at the hand of my own father._

 "Mr. Way?" The principal asked once more. "Do you need a drink?" I was panicking, my chest rapidly constricting, my eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry." I gasped, feeling tears begin to run down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, but why, of all things that teens want, were you stealing cans of soup?" he asked.

_"Burn in hell! You worthless fucking bitch!" He screamed, slapping me hard before returning his other hand to my neck._

_I attempted to kick ~~~~him but he threw me into a corner, kicking my ribs and legs as hard as he possibly could. "Please," I begged, my voice hoarse and weak. "Please."_

"We needed food," I answered quietly. "I needed to feed my brother."

"Gerard, your father has money. You can afford food, right?" He asked.

"Yes, but-" I stopped myself, knowing that if I went any further that he would just ask more questions. "If you and Michael are in desperate need of food, we can add you to the free meal list during lunch." 

"We don't need that," I whispered.

_"I never asked for you to be born! I wish you would have fucking died before you were!" He cried, slapping me hard across my already bruised and bleeding face._

"Mr. Way, I have to give you afterschool detention for a week and in-school-suspension for three days." 

"Okay." I squeaked, trying hard not to cry hysterically.

"Your suspension starts tomorrow, but we're going to call your father. You may return to class."

"Okay," I repeated, standing up and leaving the main office.

 As soon as I had stepped out into the hallway, I searched for the nearest bathroom, not wanting to start crying near teachers. The closest one was down the hall a bit, and I hobbled towards it, flinging the door open once I had gotten there.

I went an checked for anyone else in the bathroom and when I didn't find anyone, I locked myself in the handicapped stall and curled in on myself. I was going to lose my scholarship. Mikey and I were going to have nowhere to go after I turned eighteen if my father didn't kill both of us first. I wrapped my arms around my head and couldn't stop the sobs from leaving my lips. Why couldn't I have a good life? I just wanted to be happy. I never wanted to be in pain from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep.

I ruined it. I ruined everything.

The bathroom door was opened and I clamped a hand over my mouth, trying to get the tears to stop. 

"Is someone in here?"

I tried to stay quiet, but a loud sob came from my lips, muffled from my palm pressing tight against my mouth. It was too late now to try and hide that I was here. I took my hand from my lips and continued to cry, curling up tighter, pressing my back against the wall.

 The person leaned against the door to the stall I was in. "I'm not gonna ask if you're okay, because you're crying and obviously not, but do you wanna talk about it?" They asked. "Please," I said, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Okay. I'll go lock the door so no one else can get in." 

They walked over to the door, stopping at each stall to check for anyone, before locking the main door to the bathroom and coming back to me.

"I stole food because my dad doesn't feed me and now I'm going to lose my college scholarship and me and my brother aren't gonna have anywhere to go when I turn eighteen and when my dad finds out he's gonna beat my ass-" 

"Hey, slow down a little," They said.

"My father doesn't feed me and he gets mad if he finds out that I eat. So I went to a store and stole cans of soup for me and my brother so that we could eat. I can usually afford some food for us but I didn't get paid enough at work to buy anything substantial. The store found out and tried to call my dad and when he didn't pick up they called the school. I just got out of the principal's office. He said that I'm probably going to lose my scholarship to school next year." I explained, gasping and sobbing between every few words. 

There was pure silence for a few moments.

"Damn," The person huffed.

I chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah."

"Can I come in?" They asked softly.

I pondered over that for a moment, not knowing whether to let them in or stay anonymous. I decided against the latter and stood up, wiping the tears from my cheeks and sniffing before walking over to the door of the stall and opening it. 

I recognized the boy instantly.

He was one of Frank's friends, the one who had smiled at me when I had gone to get Frank from his lunch table to bring him to class. "Gerard?" he asked. I guess someone told him my name eventually. I had a few classes with him. His name started with a B. Braden? Brandon? Something close to that.

"I'm Brendon, one of Frank's friends. Hey, c'mere..." He must've noticed my shaking and tears. I stepped closer to him and he opened his arms, pulling me into a hug.

That was when I lost it.

I began to sob hysterically into his shoulder and he rubbed my back slowly. It had been so long since I had been held and comforted like this. I trembled against him, pressing my face harder against his warm body.

"Just let it out." He murmured softly, one of his hands coming up to play with my hair.

Surprisingly, I stopped crying a few minutes later, and my guttural sobs had turned into soft hiccups. Being comforted was something I rarely experienced. I had Mikey, but I hated dragging him into things and when I was upset, I would usually just stay in my room.

"You wanna ditch the rest of our classes?" Brendon asked, pulling away from me and wiping a few tears off of my face.

"W-where will we go?" I asked, my voice raspy from crying so hard.

"I know a great diner just down the road a bit. We can get milkshakes or something. My treat." He offered.

"I..." I didn't know what to say.

"I'll go, but I have to be back at the end of the day to walk back home with my brother." I decided.

"Sure. I'll get you back before the last bell, don't worry." He said with a smile and we left the bathroom together.


End file.
